MMAterial Facts (03/11/10): Strikeforce & UFC 4/17 Updates

• UFC, Strikeforce 4/17 Updates
• UFC 110 Buyrate Trending Low
• UFC 111 is Officially Sold Out, Takes Over Radio City Music Hall
• Warrior One MMA (W-1) will now be seen on Fox Sports’ Fightzone TV
• College Cage Series Reality Show To Debut In May On FSN, First Event To Be Held March 19th

UFC, Strikeforce 4/17 Updates

According to Tennessee State Athletic Commission regulations, Zuffa has until Thursday, March 18, to file an event permit application should the Las Vegas-based promotional company wish to counter Strikeforce’s April 17 date in Nashville.
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Initial ticket sales for Strikeforce, which features title fights in the organization’s light heavyweight, middleweight and lightweight divisions, project over 300 percent stronger than the company’s effort at the end of January in Sunrise, Fla., according to Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker.

“I’m very happy,” Coker texted. “Early indicators are equal to the large fights we have hosted in San Jose — Carano, Shamrock-Diaz.” (Sports Illustrated)

UFC 110 Buyrate Trending Low

I’m actually asking this question for real — because the main event was great on paper. It had meaning and significance, too. Plus the news about the show being a sell-out in Australia was known for a couple months. And… the show aired live on PPV (Sunday afternoon Australian time = Saturday night American time), so it wasn’t taped and there weren’t spoilers on the Internet beforehand.  (Fight Opinion)

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We’ve talked a lot about the role that momentum plays in motivating purchasing behavior, and three lacklustre PPVs in a row have clearly  hurt the UFC’s base. Should anyone be worried? Yes and no.

This is really the last lingering effect from the cursed back-half of 2009 when just about every major UFC star had some sort of injury; and, with a line-up in the next three months that’s going to feature four title fights, the UFC should be able to gather some momentum heading into the summer.  (MMA Payout Perspective)

UFC 111 is Officially Sold Out, Takes Over Radio City Music Hall

St-Pierre vs. Hardy, one of the most anticipated UFC® events ever, is officially sold out. Now, for everyone who wants to see Georges St-Pierre, Dan Hardy, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin live and in person, and watch this epic Ultimate Fighting Championship® event in New York, the UFC is taking over Radio City Music Hall and other sites in Manhattan to celebrate the UFC 111 mega-fight and deliver unprecedented access to the fighters getting ready to battle for world titles.

Among the first of several planned events, UFC today officially announced it will stage a UFC 111 Viewing Party at the world famous Radio City Music Hall, presenting a closed-circuit screening of this historic fight card. Fight fans can watch all the action in High-Definition on Radio City Music Hall’s 70’ x 35’ screen, the largest screen to ever broadcast UFC® events.

“We are holding this viewing party so all of our fans in New York can experience UFC 111 at the iconic Radio City Music Hall, one of the coolest places in the city, and with some of our biggest UFC stars,” said Dana White, UFC President.

“The excitement of mixed martial arts will once again be on display in New York City with this unique UFC 111 Viewing Party at the Showplace of the Nation, Radio City Music Hall,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Sports.  “All the loyal UFC fight fans will have a rare opportunity to come together for this historic night and watch the action on Radio City’s epic 70 foot screen in what will be another electric atmosphere.”  (PRESS RELEASE)

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UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. Hardy Does 1 Million Viewers

MMAPayout.com has learned that last night’s debut episode of UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. Hardy was the most watched episode in the history of the series drawing an average audience of 1 million people. Not surprisingly, the program scored well in the male 18-34 and 18-49 demos with a 1.1 and 1.0, respectively.  (MMA Payout Perspective)

Warrior One MMA (W-1) will now be seen on Fox Sports’ Fightzone TV

Warrior One MMA (W-1) has signed an open contract with Fox Sports’ Fightzone TV airing up to sixteen 90 minute episodes highlighting W-1 events.

In addition, W-1 news, fight highlights, interviews and behind the scenes footage will be aired on Fox Sports’ Brawl Call with Jay Adams.

Jay Adams, along with W-1’s official Fight Correspondent Adam Reid will team up as W-1’s ringside play-by-play announcers and perform post-fight interviews and commentary.

With the signing with Fightzone TV, W-1 events, new and highlights will now be broadcast to over 35 million households across North America, further establishing W-1 as the premier mixed martial arts organization in Canada. (Warrior One MMA)

College Cage Series Reality Show To Debut In May On FSN, First Event To Be Held March 19th

Shane Corbin Promotions will present their first high profile mixed martial arts event on March 19th featuring a headliner with The Bodyshop gym owner and current MFC lightweight champion Antonio McKee (22-3-2). He’ll take on Rodrigo Ruiz, a top Brazilian prospect with a record of 12-1. Despite a supporting cast that includes Lodune Sincaid (15-8), EliteXC and M-1 veteran Giva Santana (13-1), Bellator and MFC veteran Jesse Juarez (13-5), and K-1 veteran of both MMA and kickboxing “Mighty Mo” Siliga (3-1), that’s not the biggest news concerning the promotion, not by a longshot.

MMA Recap was able to confirm through Shane Corbin earlier today that “College Cage Series” is not just the moniker for their MMA competitions, it is also the name of an upcoming reality T.V. series based on the sport that will debut in May on Fox Sports Net, a network that is quickly becoming a juggernaut of televised combat sports.   (MMARecap)

IMAGE OF THE DAY

QUICK HITS

• St. Pierre-Hardy ‘Primetime’ Debut Nets 1 Million Viewers (Sherdog)
• One year later, Tapout’s “Mask” leaves positive imprint with those who knew him (MMAJunkie)
• Roger Gracie slated for May 15 Strikeforce event, could meet Kevin Randleman (MMAJunkie)
• Prospects Ben Holscher and Alex Trevino meet on Strikeforce Challengers VII prelims (MMAJunkie)
• GSP’s Approach May Lead Him to New Weight Class (MMAFighting)
• Thompson-Pamplona Added to Shine Fights 3 (Sherdog)
• Season One Finalist Back With Bellator (MMAFighting)
• UFC ANNOUNCES CORVIN VS BELTRAN AT UFC 113 (MMAWeekly)
• CHARLES “MASK” LEWIS VIDEO TRIBUTE (MMAWeekly)
• Arum extends the olive branch to UFC (Cage Writer)
• Public Service Announcement: Nate Quarry speaks on fighter sponsorship (FiveOuncesOfPain)

TV LISTINGS

• HDNet Fights Presents K-1 Classics (2008 K-1 Max) at 8 PM ET on HDNet (03/12/10)
• InsideMMA (James Toney, Ray Mercer, KJ Noons) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (03/12/10)
• HDNet Fights: Sengoku Raiden Championship 12 at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/12/10)
• Best of Pride FC at 10 PM ET/PT on Spike (03/12/10)
  

UPCOMING EVENTS

• HDNet Fights: Sengoku Raiden Championship 12 at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/12/10)
• HDNet Fights: XFC X-Night of Champions at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/19/10)
• UFC on Versus: Vera vs Jones at 10 PM ET on Versus (3/21/10)
• HDNet Fights: King of the Cage – Legacy at 10 PM ET on HDNet (03/26/10)
• Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs Mahe at 11 PM ET/PT on Showtime (03/26/10)
• UFC 111: GSP vs Hardy at 10 PM ET on PPV (03/27/10)
• UFN 21 : Florian vs Gomi at 10 PM ET on Spike (03/31/10)
• The Ultimate Fighter 11 Debut after UFN 21 on Spike (03/31/10)